Fighter
by Moonbroken Chaos
Summary: She hasn't told anyone what happened before the last week of highschool ended, nor did she plan to-it hurt much to bad. But falling and hitting your head can do funny things to the brain.
1. Chapter 1: Have A Nice Trip

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Pirates of the Caribbean peoples or the song 'Fighter' by Christina Aguilera.  
  
+Fighter+  
  
Summery: Deals with the issue of rape and abuse. River Conners has a horrid last week of her senior year at High School. That is before she ends up in the time of Pirates. (She's never seen or heard about the movie. Its a a/u where the movie was never invented.)  
  
This story makes me think about the song Fighter by Christina Aguilera, by the end of the story you'll know why and all. I think the song fighter is a story that a lot of people can relate to on multiple different levels.  
  
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The Black Pearl  
  
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River held her books closer to her chest and fixed her glasses. They kept falling off today. Her long black hair was tied back into a bun, her semi long bangs hanging flatly in her face. Behind the black frames of her glasses were green eyes, eyes that once held hope and life...Until it happened, they were now dull and beaten. Here it was the last day of High School and she couldn't be happy, not after what Dustin had done. She had trusted him so much and he had taken advantage of her. She was going to be going to a great college- Tennessee University.   
  
"Hey River! You ganna go to Mike's party t'night?" One of her friends called out to her before getting on the buss.  
  
"Can't! Sorry." River called back sweeping her hair out of her face and behind her ears. She hadn't been going to any of the graduation partys, what if Dustin showed up to one? No she wouldn't take that chance.   
  
Getting off the bus she said goodbye to the driver and started walking home. Thinking intently on the past weeks events. She had been going out with Dustin for a year, they had been on there way to the movies when he had this 'brilliant' idea to go into this 'haunted' house. She had followed him in thinking it was some kind of game. But it hadn't been Dustin had hit her and held her down mumbling none sense about waiting to long and River taking her damn time. She started shaking at the flashing memorize that had been haunting her night mares for days on end. Even when she wasn't even sleeping. She hadn't told anybody yet. It was to hard no matter how easy it sounded. She had even gone over the conversation with her parents in front of her mirror, but hadn't had the heart to tell them she had been raped. She was used merchandise as Dustin had put it when he but his belt back on and left her crying on the old house's dirty floor. She had been forced to walk home alone in the dark.   
  
River didn't see the gutter she was walking towards before it was a bit to late. Her foot collided with the cold steal, she felt her voice scream before hitting the ground with a thud.   
  
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"Thats it love." River tried to pull away from whom ever it was that was holding and talking to her. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, all she could think was that Dustin was trying to wake her up that night after it happened. "Come now, stop fighting." Her eye flittered open and realized she was in the arms of a man she had never seen before. He had dark eyes outlined in much darker...Makeup? She shook her head trying to wake up and clear her head. The man had black hair-some in dredlocks and most with different beads and the like. His goatee had two braids and his breath smelled of alcohol.   
  
"Where 'am I?" River rubbed her head with her knuckles trying to get it to stop aching. The man grinned flashing gold teeth.   
  
"Yer in the Caribbean love, the Black Pearl to be exact." The man saw your quizzical look. "Its a ship love." He explained. "Now... How 'bout you tell me who you are and what your doing here." She notice that his hands have long fingers that move around a lot.  
  
"I'm River." She stated looking around what she now noticed to be a cabin of some sort. "And, I'm not at all positive on why I'm here. Or how I got here."   
  
"And where, did you get those garments." He said looking over River's outfit. Which she had chosen to where black shorts and a green tank top. She had a silver locket around her neck, which her mother had given her empty, and a Celtic cross that her grandmother had given to her. She noticed that the man was dressed completely differently, waring tall boots, black pants, a billowy white shirt that quite honestly reminded her of all the pirate movies she had seen. Treasure Island for instance.   
  
"I should be asking you the same question." She muttered looking at his clothing once again. "Who are you by the way?"   
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow, and whats wrong with what I'm wearing?" She stifled a laugh as he narrowed his eyes. He rolled his eyes and went on. "Well River, You're going to be needing clothes to fit in if your going to stay." He paused to look around. "Tasmin! Anamarie." Captain Sparrow called out for two of his crew-mates. Soon a black woman wearing a close to identical outfit as Jacks came in the room followed by an other girl in pirate clothing who had honey hued eyes and redish color hair.  
  
"I n-never said I was staying here! What did you do? Kidnap me?" River started shaking thinking about some of the other men in her life. They hadn't set such a good example, her father had beat her mother, and then there was Dustin. If this man had kidnaped her it was the last straw. Jack opened his mouth to make a comment. "Cause if you think I'm going to just sit around while being kidnaped I'll just jump off this boat."  
  
"First, its a ship!" Jack's voice was rising. "Second I didn't kidnap anyone, you showed up on my ship in the middle of the deck." He paused to take a breath. "And third- go a head and jump off, you wont get far, were surrounded by miles of water. Now if you'll hold your toung Tasmin and Anamaire are going to get you some rightful clothing to ware." Jack walked out of the cabin, quite more like a swagger of a drunk man then a walk River noticed.  
  
"You angered the captain, he's not like most pirates ye know. Not one for kidnaping. Likes to take and kills about all." Anamarie, River assumed, was trying to be comforting-it just seemed to make everything a bit worse.  
  
"Take what you can, give nothing back." The red head smiled and pulled some odd bits of clothing from behind her and held them out. "I'm Tasmin-thats Anamarie." Tasmin tilted her head momentarily towards the black woman.  
  
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I don't know if that was as good as it was in my head but ye all know what to do-Review! Lol yeah so tell me what you think. I thought this story would be a good one to write and if all goes right then it'll have a very drastic ending... 


	2. Chapter 2: A Joke

Fighter  
  
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Thank you to Lyric1 and Dana-Black for reviewing!  
  
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A joke  
  
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"Pleasure...I guess that was supposed to be reassuring?" River asked looking from one of the woman to the other. Anamarie shrugged and held out clothing that resembled the ones she and Tasmin where sporting. Pirate clothes.  
  
"Don't matter, as long as you keep out o' the way and do what yer told you'll be dandy. Here now try these on." Anamarie handed River the clothing.   
  
"And we found ye with this. Jacks done gone through it and didn't find much to his liking, though he did think some of it was a tad strange." Tasmin said handing River her book-bag. River stifled a laugh of amusement, this had to be some kind of dream. They didn't know what a cd player was? Now that she thought about it she couldn't even remember all the things she had kept in the ruddy bag. Since school was over she had probably already took all of her major school books out and returned the text books. She started pulling things out of her bag ignoring the strange looks she was getting from the female pirates and the clothes they had layed next to her bag. Tasmin watched curiously as River pulled out a Evanescence cd and her portable cd player. She then pulled out her sketch book and Journal which she had on her at all times. The only thing left was a book, 'Edger Allen Poe and his Work' and some tampons and pads. She blushed at this realizing that Jack had seen these, then remembered he didn't know what they were.   
  
"Whats that?" Anamarie pointed to the Cd and the player. The silver end was sending rainbow hues around the room.  
  
"A cd, want to hear it?" Tasmin and Anamarie both nodded at River's question. +Of course they would+. River thought numbly as she handed the head phones to Anamarie and turned the song on to number one to let it play through.   
  
  
  
"Well its certainly nothinh I've ever heard before." Anamarie squinted at River, not trusting the objects she had. For all she knew River was some kind of Magic user. Of course she was going to confront her about it before Jack walk, sorry, swaggered back into the room.   
  
  
  
"Don't suppose we have another room for our little visitor?" He turned to Tasmin and Anamarie who both gave a nod as to say 'no'. "Bloody women are taking over my Pearl!" He shouted looking at each one of them separately. "I'm starting to belief in Gibb's superstitions." He mumbled fingering the two black braids hanging from his beard/goatee. His hair was adorned with many beads and charms that glittered in the light coming from the door he had left ajar. "You'll have to stay in my cabin until we reach port." He waved his hands about the small cabin. "This be yer new home for the time love, get comfy. Yer going to have to work to keep yer keep. And since I'm not sleepin' on this hard floor, were going to be sharing a bed." She seemed to look at River for the first time as his eyes scanned her body, she hadn't been paying attention though-share a room-whats more, a bed- with this, this Man? Her chin started to quiver as memories of the movie night came flooding back and she clutched the blankets in her hands until her knuckles turned white. "Careful love, those do cost a pretty cent despite what the crew says." Captain Jack nodded to the way she clutched the blankets. His eyes narrowed. "She ganna be ok?" He turned to Tasmin and Anamarie who were still watching with interest. Anamarie scoffed and Tasmin shrugged her shoulders.  
  
  
  
"Donno Cap'n. She seems a bit funny if ye ask me." Anamarie said watching River. "How'd she get here and where'd she get those bloody clothes?" She asked turning to look at Jack.  
  
  
  
"She just needs some rest is all." Tasmin spoke up. She knew Anamarie was just looking out for the ship, she also knew that before Tasmin had come a long originally as a stowaway, Anamarie had been just content being the only woman aboard the Black Pearl. "I'll tell 'er about the ship and all and you can all get on with your work." Anamarie nodded and headed out for the deck, she had some work to do on the sails-the bloody things where practically falling apart! Jack watched River a bit more before shrugging and following Anamarie. He was needed at the helm anyway.  
  
  
  
"Ignore 'um, Anamarie's just a tough cookie, and Jack-well-He's a good cap'n." Tasmin said picking up the clothes in her hands. "'Ere ye know how ta put 'ese on?" She asked. River just stood motionless. "'Ello?!" She waved her hand on in front of Rivers face. River jumped as if she had been burnt. "Ye ok?" Tasmin looked into the girls eyes. "Somethin's bothering ye."   
  
  
  
"Dono what your talkin' bout." River put on an innocent look. Tasmin narrowed her eyes but nodded.   
  
  
  
"Well 'ere. After ye get 'um on ye can come on deck. I'm sure Anamarie can use some help on the sails. And a storms coming. We got red skys this morning." Tasmin concluded and made her way for the door to the cabin. "Prove ye can work like the men and ye'll be fine." She stated before walking out the door. Thoughts of sharing a bed with the 'pirate' that she had found hovering over her when she had awoken was making things best left forgotten come to life. River changed into the clothes finding them quite difficult the figure out at some points. Finally getting herself together she walked out into the bright sunlight.   
  
  
  
"Looks like yer alive then, c'mon Gibbs 'ill have somethin' for ye." Captain Sparrow stated turning to see River come out of his cabin. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. Not trusting the plain white shirt she had kept the green tank on underneath. She gasped as she looked about her, there were men running around, some where working on different things about the ship and others were running their mouths about one unfortunate or another at some place that 'wasn't far now'. But what really excited her was the ocean. The waves crashing and churning about the ship made her forget everything. The sea green vastness seemed to soak up all the unhappiness in her.   
  
"Like it lass?" She about jumped as Jacks voice came through the barrier she usually had up. She mentally kicked her self. She had let her guard down. Damn.   
  
  
  
He was closer then she thought at first and when River turned to say something she found he was less then a foot away. She shied away and almost fell over a bucket.   
  
"Damn." River said aloud. She looked up at the grinning Captain. "Yeah, I've never seen it before." She controlled her voice as she got some much needed space. Jack's charming grin disappeared and he about swallowed his toung.  
  
  
  
"NEVER SEEN THE OCEAN?!" He took a settling breath. "How can ye live with yerself?" He seemed astonished. Of course she had seen the ocean, in pictures, but never the crashing moving sensation that came with being on the ship.   
  
"I've seen it in pictures!" She defended her self. Then about gagged as she realized that she had yelled at him.   
  
"It ain't the same." He insisted watching her. She nodded watching the water once more. "Ye can scrub the brig. It needs a good cleanin'." He eyed the cross hanging on her neck with a gleam in his eye. She placed her hand over it, clenching it in her fist and his eyes snapped up. "'Ave Anamarie or Tasmin tell ye were we keep the buckets and rags." He sniggered a little. "You going to be tired tonight. I guess that means the fun 'ell 'ave to wait." He was joking but it still made her flinch. He watched as she went and asked Tasmin where the supplies was kept and went to retrieve it.  
  
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I couldn't really think about what I wanted to do with this chapter. I don't mean to make Anamarie sound extremely rude it just seems that she would need to get to know someone before she became all buddy-buddy with them. Though I'm sure she'll become more kind in a couple chapters. Since that storms coming and all. Please tell me what you think. I don't know if I portray the characters all that well and I want your insight! Tell me how I'm doing for a fan thats only been able to seethe movie once . 


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmares

Fighter  
  
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Thank You:  
  
*Dana-Black for reviewing and keep your hat on-He's comin!  
  
*Skyler VonDetton- Thank you SO much! I love your work and it makes me feel great that you like my work. Please hurry with an update to your story! Its really great, and to tell you the truth the only Will story I've read seeing as I'm a Huge Jack fan.   
  
*Lenore Raven- Eeep! I do love my life and I'm sorry I haven't updated. Even though I know where I want to go with this story its hard to write of the top of me skull. I've been trying to stop writing in my classes and actually *gasp* pay attention...I might actually pass Chemistry that way   
  
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Nightmares  
  
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"The BRIG?! Thats a tad harsh." Tasmin said looking to where Jack Sparrow was standing at the helm. Even Anamaria nodded as she pulled a thick needle through ebony sails that, in River's opinion, looked as though they couldn't be fixed. A tall blond pirate walked past them, his hands where grimy but that didn't stop him from pinching Tasmins bum. "Touch me one more time ye scallywag and ye wont walk for a week!" She yelled out at him as he walked away sniggering, even though she had a small smile on her face.  
  
"Tasmin stop ye bloody yellin and get the lass a bucket and scrub!" Jack yelled from the helm. Tasmin rolled her eyes and went to look for an empty bucket and such.   
  
"He's jest trying to get to ye." Anamaria said not looking up from the sails she was mending with her focus. "BLOODY HELL!" She yelled out making River jump. Anamaria's finger was bleeding slightly. River looked at her in question. "I pricked me finger." Anamaria said sticking the finger in her mouth and standing up, letting the sails and thick wire fall from her lap. "Jack!"  
  
"Captain, love, its Captain Jack." He corrected.   
  
"I'm not doin no more o' this bloody lady work. Get someone else to mend yer bloody sail." She glowered. "You can ye sew?" Anamaria turned to River who had remain silent, just wanting to get to the scrubbing or what not.  
  
"I guess a little- though we used the sewing machines more then needle and thread." River looked at Anamaria so she didn't have to look at Jack.   
  
"Well great you can do it and I'll clean the bloody brig!" She walked past River and grabbed the cleaning supplies from Tasmin, who had just come back on deck and after watching Anamaira walk down below deck she looked about with a confused face, she shrugged and started getting to the work she was meant to do. River leaned down and picked up the black sails, wire and large needle. She started trying to get the wire through the hole at the top of the needle, biting down on her toung gently with concentration.   
  
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"I'm so tired. This bloody dream is WAY to tiring for its own good." River clamped her hand over her mouth as she noticed she had used the word 'bloody'. It was a pirate word for Gods sake! Jack chuckled,he had noticed it to then.   
  
"Tis no dream love." He opened the door to his cabin and waited for her to walk in first. River watched him skeptically before walking back into the room she had woken up in. "I have a bit more work to finish on deck." He paused. "Ye have any close to change into fer to night?" He asked looking her body over with a smile. River thought a moment and decided she would be more comfortable in here jeans then the tight pirate pants.  
  
"Possibly." She said halfheartedly. He shrugged his shoulders and left the room. She looked at the door for a couple more minuets trying to decide if he would come back in while she was getting changed. Finding that it was quiet, apart from the people still working on deck and the rough splashing from the storm brewing above. It was raining outside and dark. And seeing as she didn't know how to handle a boat, much less during a storm, Jack had agreed it was time for her to be getting to bed. She changed into her shorts feeling much better being in something familiar, she kept the pirate shirt on and crawled into the bed pulling the blankets to her chin, she still shivered. River removed her glasses from her nose and put them on the small table next to the bed before crawling to the other end of the wall and pressing herself as far as she could against the wall, leaving Jack with plenty of room for when he would come back down, that way he wouldn't have to touch her. She couldn't help but jump as the door creaked open and Jack came back in sopping wet, his shirt clinging to his tanned skin and becoming almost transparent. River pulled her eyes shut quickly hoping that he would think she was asleep. She listened as she heard his shirt drop to the floor and splash the excess water on the wood surrounding it. She cringed slightly as the bed creaked under his weight and knocked a couple strands of her hair lose.   
  
"Hope I didn't work ye to hard today love." She stiffened as he brushed away the hair that was in her face. "I know your bloody well awake." She squinted one eye open to see Jack watching her with a smile. "Woman don't usually cringe when I touch them." He stated pointedly, his deep eyes searching hers. She kept her own eyes empty, hiding all of her pain into the deepest corners of her mind and leaving her body numb. Rivers eyes moved away from Jacks, his where a bit different and seemed to able to penetrate her carefully guarded force field.   
  
"I didn't work to hard." She said truthfully, all she had been able to do was mend to sails. Of course that left her enough work and some nice finger pricks. The cat-calls from the crew hadn't helped much either. He watched her a few moments thinking intently, she felt uncomfortable under his gaze.  
  
Jack decided to take a chance, and see if she would tell him anything if he pissed her off enough. His second plan was to get her drunk as hell. Rum was, by far, one of his best friends. Her moved his hands under the blanket, one of them gently touching Rivers thigh- he was surprised to feel her flesh under his finger tips. River shivered violently and he moved his hand away noticing her chin quivering like a childs. She didn't say anything though, only a small whimper escaped her lips before she clamped her mouth shut and clinched her teeth. Jack nodded thoughtfully and shrugged before turning his back to her and blowing out the last candle that remained alight. River sat as still as possible, not being able to sleep. She noticed that Jacks breathing had evened out and that he was still, she didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep.  
  
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Dreams....  
  
"Dustin? Where are we going?" River was all laughs as Dustin entwined his fingers into hers and lead her up a weed ridden sidewalk.   
  
"Its just a little haunted house." He assured. "More than ghost in these old hollow walls." Dustin lead her to the back door and look around the dusty floor carefully before bending down and picking up a mat that was concealing a old fashion key. "I knew it was here." He said turning to look into her eyes. He turned back and slipped the key into the doors lock and grinned with satisfaction as the door slid open. He pulled River in laughing and she even gave a laugh, knowing they weren't supposed to be here.  
  
  
  
"Love?" No, that wasn't right. Dustin never said that.. "Love wake up! Yer having a nightmare."  
  
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Jack woke up to someone thrashing in the bed next to him. He moved his head in time as a arm flailed hitting the pillow where his head had been moments before. He stared wide eyed as she kept twisting and withering in the blankets until they were wrapped around her like a tight cocoon.  
  
"No!" She wailed as tears starting sliding down her pale face. He could tell she was trying to keep fighting but her arms where trapped to her body by the blankets.  
  
"Love?" He asked timidly hoping she would wake up, the whole thing was a little unnerving. "Love wake up! Yer having a nightmare." He yelled out to her as a giant sob escaped her mouth in pure terror. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her to wake her up, he didn't stop until she opened her eyes in fright and looked around, a small scream escaped her as she looked up to see Jack, before his hand clamped over her mouth.  
  
  
  
"Now I know I'm no beauty when I wake in the morn, but ye don't need to scream." He said quitely waiting for her to calm down. Rivers hair was damp from sweat, but she started to breath regularly after remembering she was far away from Dustin. She was stilled wide eyed as Jack started to move his hand away from her mouth, his fingers brushed quickly over her lips. "No screamin'?" She nodded her head and took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. "Want to tell me what has you screaming when you barely said two words the whole day?" He asked looking at her, he was propped up on his elbow, so he towered above her.   
  
"I..I.." She paused thinking..."It was nothing, just a stupid nightmare." She quickly composed herself pulling her 'Great Wall of China' back around her, the fear that had been in her eyes disappeared right in front of Jacks stare, and was replaced by emptiness and a hollow feeling that almost gave Jack chills. She then notice how close he still was and that her body was still bound by not Dustin, but the retched blankets. "Help." She said quietly, it was a snitch below a whisper, and she was trying desperately but without success to loosen the blankets. Jack cracked a grin and pulled the edge of the blanket with such force she was rolled over to his side of the bed, the blanket was still in his grasp. River cringed and scooted back to her side quivering against the wall she clinched her eyes closed.   
  
Jack shrugged for the hundredth time that day and snapped the blanket so that it fell over her once again.  
  
"Night love." He turned to face the opposite direction and closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep.   
  
  
  
"Goodnight Captain Sparrow." River whispered inaudibly trying to fall back asleep but it wouldn't happen. Jack couldn't help but feel he was breaking through that strong wall she had up, she did after all, almost tell him about the nightmare. Neither of them could fall back asleep for fear that another dreadful nightmare would cause River to go crazy once again.   
  
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Ugg- This story is going no place to slow...Lol it will get better I promise. Its just that she kinda needs to feel safe before she can be an open book. Please tell me what you think...But only nice criticism if it needs it. Seeing as I don't take things lightly. Bottle of rum to reviews then! Oh and I have no intention of leaving this with a perfect ending, but maybe a little surpize at the end...[Insert evil laugh here] 


	4. Chapter 4: Dagger

Fighter  
  
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Thank You:  
  
*Lenore Raven: I'm so glad you like my stories, Who said I have a life that doesn't revolve around the internet?! They lied! lol   
  
*Lyric1: Thanks ^^  
  
*Dana-Black: Thanks!  
  
A song to listen to this chapter would be a Voice Within by Chritina Aguilera. It's not that I like her or anything, I don't know- I've never met her. But her lyrics are awesome and she has a great voice.  
  
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Dagger  
  
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River heard Jack stand up and leave the room mumbling about not being able to sleep, and how Gibbs was in the right track with his bad luck thinking. River sat up after he left and picked up her book bag and sketch book, pulling open the side pocket on the book bag she dug out a small box of colored pencils. Setting them down on the desk she started changing back into the pirate pants she had received from Tasmin and Anamaria. Silently cursing pirate bathing habits.   
  
The sunlight seemed un-natural, so did the whole circumstance in general. Men were running around the deck, pulling at the ropes or coming up from below deck and informing a dirty chubby man about how much food was left or the amount of cannon balls they had left in case of attack. River silently walked around to a almost quite part and sat down looking over the crashing waves and the glittering diamonds the sun left on top of the blue green water. The sun was a fire red orange and was just coming up. River pulled out a colored pencil and started drawing, first black and white and then added bits of color to the sun rise, then mixing a blue green for the waves- making it darker in some places and almost white in others. She gently bit her lower lip as she tried to find a color to match the clear sky above her.  
  
"Yer a good artist." River jumped from where she had been sitting. Damn the ocean and its tranquility. Jack leaned over her shoulder and surveyed the picture she had been working on. "But ye forgot one thing."   
  
"And what would that be?" River turned to face him irritably. She hadn't had barely any sleep and now he was commenting on her drawing? He pointed a little to the right.  
  
"Are those dolphins?" River caught a glimpse of a slick silver body glide over the top of the water and dive back down, followed by two or three more and then replayed. She watched in awe, the only sea creatures she had ever seen where behind glass walls. Jack just nodded.  
  
  
  
"Do ye always scream in yer sleep?" He had thought about it and had decided to question her about it when she was relaxed and focused on something that would hold her attention. Her eyes were alive and watching the dolphins with curiosity and hope. Unfortunately, River wasn't one to let her wall down for long periods of time.  
  
"It was a nightmare." She stated quietly retreating into herself again. Damn him and his beautiful dark eyes.   
  
"Cap'n!" Gibbs voice called from somewhere on the ship nearby. River let out a small sigh of relief, thankful for the interruption. "Theres a ship in our wake, their sporting a Jolly Roger."   
  
"Why thank ye Gibbs." Jack was giving a charming smile as he nodded to River and turned to walk over to Gibbs who handed Jack a bronze spy glass. Jack turned it to the spot Gibbs was pointing to and watched for a moment. "There after us alright, must be me charming goods looks." Anamaria came up from below deck rolling her eyes.   
  
"I heard that Captain." She said walking past him and over to River. "Here, if yer goin' to be on a pirate ship all quite like ye are, yer goin' to need somethin' to protect yerself with." Anamaria held out a object wrapped in a thick white cloth. River took it reluctantly. "Its not going to bite you- well really it should be hurting the one thats bothering you." She said after pondering the thought. River unwrapped the cloth and looked down at a dagger. Silver blade sending shivers down her spine, a hard white handle with carvings imbedded into it. "Its sharp, and thats ivory. The markings are old." Anamaria stopped to think. "Some one told me what they mean...Freedom I think it was." She shrugged. "Careful with it." She warned before walking up to join into the conversation with Gibbs and the Captain. River traced her index finger over the carvings. Freedom, that would be nice.  
  
"There coming up fast, I give 'um another hour before they catch up." Gibbs informed Jack as River walked over, suddenly feeling uncomfortable being alone. Mostly because the threat of another pirate ship coming closer wasn't to appealing. Jack started giving orders to the crew, dropping the sails to allow the wind to push the ship on farther and faster.  
  
"Ye might wanna head to the captains quarters." Tasmin looked back at Raven as she walked past. "Better safe then sorry." River nodded her head before walking into Jacks cabin and closing the door. She picked up her cd player and cd turning the volume up until it hurt her ears and closed her eyes.   
  
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River could just barely hear the cannons moving across the deck. She reached to turn the volume up on her cd player and rolled her eyes as she realized it was already up as far as it would go. She jumped as the all to clear sound of cannon fire sounded. She clutched the dagger that Anamaria had given her running her thumb over the ivory blade, thinking about the elephant that was dead now because of it, though at this time the elephants weren't endangered either so it wasn't as bad. She flung her headphones off her head as she felt hands on her shoulders.   
  
"I thought ye would like to know that they caught up." Tasmin grinned innocently, or as innocent as a female pirate can grin.   
  
  
  
"You don't say." River replied sarcastically. She switched her cd player off and stood up from where she was sitting. It was Tasmin's turn to roll her eyes. She even opened her mouth to say something before another cannon shot rang out and   
  
"Cap'n! There coming aboard!" A voice from above rang out in excitement. Tasmin cracked a smile.  
  
  
  
"I live for this stuff." She stated before turning and walking back out the door. River looked around the room and followed her, she would rather be out on deck watching and knowing then being stuck in the captains quarters and NOT knowing what was going on. The sky was smokey with gun powder. A large ship was pulled up next to the Black Pearl and ropes and gang planks were situated so that the pirates could board one anothers ship. The yelling and clashing of sword against sword was deafening and River was starting to rethink knowing what was going on.  
  
"'Ello poppet." A toothless *really* dirty pirate was suddenly standing in front of her. +But of course. Why wouldn't my life take a turn for the worse.+ River sighed heavily looking around the dock. Jack had that always present grin on his face as he crossed blades with a pirate from the other ship, Anamaria was facing off against a somewhat heavy pirate with a cutlass, and Tasmin was laughing as she shoved a blade through a filthy scumbag who then fell overboard into the chilled waters below.   
  
"Why doesn't this look like it'll be fun?" River asked no one in particular. She took a step back as the dirty pirate reached out for her and she turned to run back into Jack cabin, with any luck it would have a lock on the door. Luck sucks.  
  
"Damn damn damn damn..." River tried pushing the large captain's desk against the door but it wouldn't budge. She went on cursing while pushing a chair under the knob. Well it works in movies, besides luck owed her one. Lucks a bitch.  
  
"Poppet." A sing song voice range through the door. "I saw ye go in 'ere." The knob on the door rattled. River looked around the room her eyes falling on the bed. Oh well, the oldest trick in the book has to start somewhere. She crawled under the bed clutching the dagger in her hand behind her back so the pirate wouldn't see it until it was just a tad to late. She saw his overly large feet shuffle across the room after hearing a crack as the door opened. He stopped infront of the bed and slowly started to bend over, a clouded grey eye above the retched crooked smile. "I knews ye was in 'ere, now quit playin and common out before I make ye." River, feeling rather board and surprisingly brave considering she didn't really care at this point (she was after all stuck on a pirate ship in the 17 hundreds), scrunched up her nose and stuck out her toung. "Is that 'ow it is then. I'll 'ust 'ave to get ye meslef." The pirates gruesome grin grew wider as a dirty hand with tidbits for nails started under the bed. In one swift movement River brought the blade out from behind her back and drug it into the pirates outstretched hand imagining Dustin's hand- hate glittering in her eyes. The blade went through like butter and dug into the old wood of the pirate ship with a sickening thud, the cut so cleanly made the only blood was running down the blade and onto the floor in a small glittering puddle. The pirate yelped with surprise and fury and reached his other hand down to try and pull the blade out of his hand, though it wasn't easy in his position. River crawled backwards out from under the bed so that her feet were out first, then her mid-section and then her head. She shook her head making a mental note to clean the cabin if she ever got the chance as many dust bunnies made it out of her hair and floated slowly back down to the floor, only to be pushed back under the bed by a breeze or the movement of the ship.  
  
"Thats what you get for messing with a girl with problems." River mused to herself as she made her way back on deck quickly, not wanting to be around and alone when the blade was pulled from the pirates hand. Jack and most of the crew had made their way to the other ship and were making there way back aboard the Pearl with food and such that they had taken from the other ship. Tasmin had a green apple in her hand that she took a large bite out of before tossing it to River.  
  
"You missed all the fun." Tasmin said with a large smile. "Jack's ganna take everything but a weeks rations for the ones that are still alive and through their sails in the ocean. That ways they have a chance and were to far away for them to catch up- besides, it'll take days before their sails are dry enough to use anyway." Tasmin finished with a deep breath. Anamaria was hooting the crews victory.  
  
"Did ye get board down in the captains quarters girly?" Anamaria asked taking the apple that River was handling absently and taking a large bite.  
  
"On the contrary. I don't think Jack will be to happy when he gets to his cabin." River gave a half uncertain grin looked back to where she had come up recently. "That dagger came in handy Anamaria, it a bit of a literal since if you think about it."   
  
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So what do you all think? Did River get a little to brave in this chapter? I'm trying to get her to loosen up, but maybe it was to fast. Anyways please review. I really like this story and I hope you all do to. 


	5. Chapter 5: Fear of Death

Fighter  
  
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Thank You:  
  
*Lenore Raven: I love you ^^ Your reviews make me feel great and keep me writing! Thank you! I hope you'll help me with the vote at the end. ^^  
  
*lemluvspirates and Dana-Black: Thanks guys for reviewing and reading my stories!  
  
*XFVixen: I loved your fic. It has a great idea but I hope Jacks in it soon! ^^ Thanks for your opinion and I hope you can help me on this chapter.  
  
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Fear of Death  
  
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Anamaria looked at River with a confused expression before she heard a yell from Jack's cabin and a scruffy pirate came running up the stairs to the deck, hand bleeding and a red glittering knife in his healthy hand.   
  
"You little whore." The pirate hissed glaring at River, who at the name felt a shiver run through her spine and stiffened.   
  
"I beg your pardon!" Tasmin pulled out her cutlass and gave the pirate a glare of warning. "Strike that, I'm not begging, you best take that back before I gut you." The pirate in front of her pulled out the pistol in his belt and pointed it first at Tasmin, then Anamaria and finally River. Rivulets of blood dripped down his hand and shattered against the wood deck. He cocked the gun grinning like a mad man. River turned her head a closed her eyes as a shot rang out. Squinting one eye open and then the other, in a stupor that she wasn't lying on the deck streaming blood.   
  
"Thats not very nice." River turned to see smoke coming from a very pissed off looking Captain Jack Sparrow's gun. She looked from him to the place where the pirate with plans on killing her had been standing only seconds before. He was now on the deck, still and in a bright crimson puddle. Jack looked to Anamaria. "What the bloody hell is goin' on?"   
  
"Ask 'er." Anamaira nodded to River, obviously interested in the story she had to tell.   
  
"I- I mean, he..." Rivers voice trailed off as she looked at the body of the pirate. Her eyes grew wide with the shock of seeing a dead body. "He came after me, and I stuck the blade through his hand and into the floor of your cabin." River finished quitely. Anamaira shook her head looking somewhat impressed.  
  
"This is yours then?" Jack asked leaning over the body and picking up the bloody blade that had been River's only weapon. She nodded absently and he wiped the blood from the dagger on his pants and handed it to River. She held it in her hand and looked at it for a few moments before smiling to her self, she could fight. This was new, and...Thrilling.   
  
"Feeling OK love?" Jack asked walking next to her. She was showing emotion- a good thing. Tasmin and Anamaira had left them alone to see what they had received from the other ship. River, caught off guard, looked up and around for some one else.   
  
"Yeah." River stuck the dagger in the belt that was holding her pants up. The dagger had just become her best friend. "If you don't have any chores for me, I think your quarters needs a good cleaning." River looked up at Jack to find him watching her, she realized she had been open since she had opened her eyes finding her self alive and not shot. She started to retreat into her shelter. Jack took the step that put them at arms length. He reached out to her face and she flinched, closing her eyes tightly. Jack smirked and removed her glasses.   
  
"Hey! I can't see without those." River opened her eyes, she could see, just not well- usually she used the glasses when reading and could live without them, but she didn't like to- she could hide behind the damn glasses. But Jack was happy, he was seeing *more* emotion. She was confused and, angry.   
  
"Sure you can." Jack insisted with a glint of his gold teeth. River lounged for the hand he was sporting her glasses with, but he moved too quickly.   
  
"I'm at a disadvantage Captain Sparrow." River gritted her teeth. Frustration was something that was getting harder and harder to control on the pirate ship. River stepped closer to reach for her glasses, but her arms fell limp as Jacks lips brushed against her own. It was light and delicate and over in a flash before her glasses were back over her eyes and she was watching dumbfounded as Jack, smirking, walked away and over to the helm with Gibbs.   
  
River touched her lips and started shaking from head to toe. Walking quickly to the captains quarters she picked up a bristle horse hair brush and a bucket of water and rag. She started by cleaning up the blood that had dripped under the captains bed and up to the door. Then sweeping the lose dirt, hair and dust from under the bed, desk chairs and so on and so forth. Her knees started to become sore around noon, and she could hear her tummy screaming at her for food.  
  
"River?" Tasmin called tentavley through the door before opening it and walking in. "The cap'n wants me to tell ye that cooks serving lunch and if you wanna eat that you should come soon." Tasmin grinned. "By the way, nice one, with the dagger and all. Even Anamaria said it took guts for someone like you to stab someones hand clean through to the floor."   
  
"Thanks, I'm coming." River stood and rubbed her knees. Fixing her glasses on her nose where they wouldn't slide down and walking to the door. She followed Tasmin to a room with long tables filled with gruel and hard tack. In the middle there was pig, roast and dried fruit.   
  
"Most greens don't keep well on the sea." River heard Jack comment as she sat down. She noticed that the seat next to her was unoccupied and Jack was soon sitting next to her. River shrugged, never being one for green beans and peas anyway. She silently picked up food, first some meat- not willing to ask what it was- and then a apple and a kiwi. She couldn't help but smile, only the Black Pearl would have Kiwis. "Ye like fruit?" Jack watched with a smirk as River, unceremoniously, started shoving food down her gullet. She had barely eaten in two days, you can't right blame her for being famished.   
  
"Yeah I guess." River had never really thought about liking fruit, she just had. Now that she thought about it- well it didn't even matter. It was just fruit. She took the knife Jack handed her and started pealing the skin off the kiwi. Blah, why did it have to have hair. The food was good but it reminded her of a small animal. Thank God it was green inside or she might not have been able to handle it. Jack smiled knowingly, like he knew something she didn't. River turned to face him. "Yes?" She asked before chewing on a hard piece of hardtack, aware now as to how it got its name. Jack shrugged innocently.  
  
"Ye haven't mentioned the kiss. I was thinking that maybe you had sent it to the little place your hiding the other big secret. Which would put me under the impression that the other secret also had something to do with a man." He finished his discovery lecture and bit into an apple. River paled and stood up ignoring the stares that some of the other pirates were giving her thanks to the interruption. She walked out and Jack nodded. "Thats what I thought." He said more to himself than anyone.  
  
River walked into the captains quarters and sat down on the bed, quickly wiping away a tear that threatened to fall. No crying, she promised herself no crying...Another tear slid down her face and she cursed the world to hell. River cradled her knees and rocked her self back and forth thinking. She might have fallen to sleep if the large wooden door to the captains room hadn't opened. River took a deep breath, unaware that she had been holding it until Tasmin walked in the door.  
  
"You don't seem to hungry for the aftermath of your first battle. I 'member my first battle left me famished as 'ell." Tasmin watched her curiously. What was it with these pirates and wanting to know everything that wasn't their business. The damn ship was starting to remind her of High School with their need for gossip.  
  
"I never said I wasn't hungry." River said placidly. Eyes watching the small circle window on the other side of the room. She could see the high Caribbean sun and a bright sky. Although she wasn't sure how long that would last- in her time her teacher said that storms would come up with out warning in the Caribbean, she wasn't positive the same held true for hundreds of years previous.  
  
"You didn't eat much and then you left in a huff. Wanna talk about it?" Tasmin questioned before turning to see what River was looking at.   
  
"Not really." River looked back to Tasmin. Right now all she wanted to do was go back to her own time, move out of her house, go to college and get a job. But NO. River couldn't have a *normal* life. She had to be thrown back in time and slammed onto a pirate ship in the seventeenth century. God must of had a great sense of humor. Or some stupid writer was controlling every aspect of her life and decided to be a jack ass. "What do you do around here, for fun I mean."  
  
"We get drunk as 'ell!" Tasmin said proudly raising her head. River mawed this over in her head. Humm...Get drunk on a ship with only three females and a bunch of male pirates- or- Stay sober while a bunch of male pirates get drunk...How could she chose...  
  
"I think not" River picked through her things and chose the Edger Allen Poe book. Starting with 'The Tell Tale Heart'. "You have fun though." Tasmin eyed her a few more moments.  
  
"Ye can read?" She asked looking at the exposed cover of the hard leather bound book that River's grandmother had given her that had a black raven etched into the front followed by swirling letters stating the Authors name.  
  
"Yeah." River looked up from her book. "Why?" Tasmin just shrugged and stood up.   
  
"Only some pirates can, and most girls can't." Tasmin smiled. "Its a good talent, since its makes recording brave epics a lot easier." She said with a chuckle, "I myself can't read...speaking I picked up from everyone around me, that's usually how we 'lower classmen' learn...then you become a pirate and slice the throats of all who made fun of ye." River gave a ironic chuckle.  
  
"That could come in handy." River sated .  
  
"What? Not reading?" Tasmin replied back.  
  
"No, slicing the throats of everyone who makes fun of you." River said this last part semi-somberly.  
  
"Well, I still have work to do on deck. Have fun reading." Tasmin tipped her hat and walked out of the cabin, shutting the door behind her. River shrugged her shoulders and started reading again, although she couldn't really concentrate. She could only think about her previous talk with Tasmin. She rolled her eyes as the door opened again and was about to make a retort to Tasmin about reading when she noticed the black dreaded hair.  
  
" 'Ello love." Jack said a little cheerfully. River tried to cover up the groan with a small cough. She sat her book down, seemingly giving up on the reading concept. Didn't pirates ever consider the fact that someone would want privacy? No guess not, and River really didn't want to see Jack right now. "You forgot your food so I thought I would bring it to ye." Jack sat down next to River on the bed, she moved away from him without even thinking about it.   
  
"Er...Thanks." She tilted her head for a moment in thought before taking the plate of food that he was holding out to her. River started pulling off pieces of the stale bread and chewing them silently.   
  
"I thought I would ask the mystery girl a few questions." When River gave Jack a blank look he finished. "Well ye fell onto me ship in the middle of a trip to the Phoenix Islands and all we, we being me and me crew, is yer name." He fingered his braided mustache. "So why don't ye tell me your birthday." Jack had a plan, and this was the start. He wanted some questions answered and he would build up to the one he wanted answered most at the moment. River eyed him surprisingly.  
  
"Its in July, July 17." (A/n: You want to know where I got this date? You do! lol Disneyland opened on this date in 1955! Who says you don't learn something new everyday?!) Jack nodded his head, as if it was something important.  
  
"And how old are ye?" River lowered her eyes to the plate in front of her and picked up the kiwi she had peeled earlier.  
  
  
  
"I'll be eight-teen in July..." River took a small bite of the fruit, wiping the excess juice from her chin. This wasn't an answer Jack had been expecting. Sure eight-teen was older in his time then in River's time, but she still seemed to young to have gone through something that had her so unafraid to die and yet afraid of a mans touch.  
  
"Now love, what has ye scared so much that yer not afraid of death?" River opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. "Don't try and deni it. You didn't scream out when a gun was pointed at you and you barely flinched. Not to mention you didn't run screaming at the sight of a dead body. That may have put Anamaria on your side but its got me semi confused as to why a girl like you doesn't talk and welcomes death with opened arms."  
  
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Yeah see, I was thinking that she would tell him but now I'm not so sure. So...Its a vote!!!  
  
I need reviews for this one. At least three, but more is highly welcomed!  
  
Now you need to vote on the following:  
  
Does River tell Jack what happened?  
  
Does she tell him a lie?  
  
OR!!!  
  
Does something happen so that she doesn't have to decide to tell him or not? ex: Anamaria walks in with news or something? 


	6. Chapter 6: Haunting Memorys

"I-I." River's voice trailed off. She had been holding everything in for a while now. She sighed looking to the door as she heard footsteps. Jack looked to before standing up and walking over to the door. It opened an inch before Jack pushed it closed again. A hard look on his face. He had seen that coming, she would come so close to saying something and then someone would walk in. She wasn't getting away that easy.  
  
"Come on love. Tell Jack what happened to ye." He sat back down next to her after turning the lock on the door; the person had knocked a couple times then seemingly had given up. River took another large sigh of something like relief, looking into the almost black eyes of the pirate in front of her. She started talking. Stuttering at first and then her voice grew stronger as the memory came back to her like a flood.  
  
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"Dustin? Where are we going?" River was all laughs as Dustin entwined his fingers into hers and led her up a weed-ridden sidewalk.  
  
"Its just a little haunted house." He assured. "More than ghost in these old hollow walls." Dustin led her to the back door and look around the dusty floor carefully before bending down and picking up a mat that was concealing an old fashion key. "I knew it was here." He said turning to look into her eyes. He turned back and slipped the key into the doors lock and grinned with satisfaction as the door slid open. He pulled River in laughing and she even gave a laugh, knowing they weren't supposed to be here. Dustin pulled her through the house.  
  
"How often do you come in here?" River laughed as he showed her around a master bedroom on the second floor.  
  
"A lot I guess, it's usually to think though." He turned to her, something coming to life in his eyes. He pushed River against the wall gently at first with kisses. River kissed him back; it wasn't as though they had never kissed after all. Dustin's hand traveled down her side to her hip. River covered it with her own and broke away.  
  
"Dustin, we already talked about this." She started firmly looking into his eyes. She was being truthful. She just wasn't ready; she planed on going to college and getting married before having sex. She had grown up going to church with her grandmother before her grandmother had died that was. It had been her way to spend the whole weekend away from her father who would drink and beat up her mother. On the weekdays it was quite, her dad would work until six and her mom would work nights, so River never really saw her parents and although she was ashamed to admit it, it was nice. She tried hard in school, and work, and now she would be going to a good school.  
  
"River, I'm sick of you deciding when we move to the next base." Dustin spoke up, taking a step back and holding his head in aggravation.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" River glared at him. Who was he to decide when she would give it up? "I'm out of here. You're giving me the Wiggins." She started for the door that would lead to the hall way and then down to the first floor and the way out.  
  
"No- Your not." Dustin's grip on her arm stopped her. "Get off me. Dustin its over." He pulled her closer, the grip growing stronger. "Dustin get off!" River looked around for something to hit him with, unluckily the room was empty and the only thing was the dust that was floating around like snowflakes on crack. Dustin breathed heavily onto her neck and his free arm traveled the length of her body. Rivers mind went into overload, and she did what any female in her situation would do. A swift kick to the jewels. Dustin's grip on her arm tightened as his face contorted in pain and he slowly lowered to the ground and onto his knees. River grimaced at the pain in her arm and tried once again to pull his grip off.  
  
"You'll pay for that." He breathed between gasp. River tried to force the small grin of satisfaction from her face. Dustin pulled her down to the ground, her body withering and her screams doing nothing to stop him, just making Dustin have a better time trying to shut her up by forcing her legs still with his own. He held her wrist above her head with one of his hands. By now tears were coming from her eyes, River didn't give up easy though she still tried heavily to twist her body out of his grasp and scream for help, hoping beyond hope that someone out side would hear- Dustin had said the walls were hollow.  
  
"Please, Dustin please get off." Dustin seemed to ponder this before smiling and running his hand under her shirt. The feeling made her shiver and close her eyes. Wanting to be anywhere but here. Hell, home would be better. Dustin kept going though, and she couldn't force her self to disappear and be anywhere else. His hand traveled to his own pants as he unbuckled them and then back to her body and her own shorts she was wearing. His hand resting lazily on her thigh before going to her button and zipper. River started to struggle again, opening her eyes and pleading for him to stop. The night seemed to go on forever, though it could possibly have only been a few minuets. Time was not what River was worried about at the moment. Dustin stood up and walked a couple feet away from her. Fixing his pants and his belt. River curled into a ball, holding her eyes closed and nursing the bruises that were forming bright ebony and a shiny purple on her arms and other places.  
  
"Your no good now are you River? There was no need to wait, your used and no ones going to want you." With that Dustin walked out of the room-leaving River in her own self-pity. She didn't know how long she stayed there; curled in a ball; fear that he would come back haunting her. She finally found the strength to stand up and walk down the stairs clumsily. It was late; she could hear owls and other night creatures prowling. Her father would probably be awake and still drinking, her mother trying to stay out of his way by staying in the kitchen or hiding in her own bedroom. Or over the neighbors house doing things she thought where secret- she had no clue that River knew she would sneak out of the house and have an affair with their new neighbor.  
  
Her father didn't say anything as she limped up the stairs to her bedroom, one of the only things she liked about the room was it had its own bathroom instead of a huge closet. She tried washing the dirt and feeling inside. She thought maybe if she went to sleep and woke up she would find that it was all just a stupid dream. River woke up, but nothing had changed, nothing good had happened. Every night she would have the same night mares, her school work became distant; but it was the end of the year- she didn't have that much anyway and it didn't really affect her; She stopped talking to her real close friends and was only vaguely aware she was letting him win. She now knew, she wasn't princess that would be getting married to the handsome prince at the end of a Disney movie.  
  
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River turned away from Jack when she finished. She couldn't look him in the eyes. That didn't seem to matter to the pirate captain who in turn took her chin in his hand and turned her face gently but firmly to look him in the face. His eyes were different, almost angry.  
  
"Now listen to me love." He started talking. "Your not 'used goods', your still a virgin. Take this in mind, aye? Virginity is a moral, not a physical thing. It can't be stolen but it can be hidden. No one can take it unless you give it to them." Jack stressed the last part to make a point. River averted her eyes and opened her mouth to say something but Jack wasn't finished. "Another thing. You were a fighter, now you'll never forget what happened to you, but you will be able to use it to your advantage. It will make ye stronger for it. Understand?" River nodded her head absently. Jack let go of her chin. "Good. Now that that's done with. You're going to need your sleep. I think I've got an idea as to what you'll be doing for work tomorrow." Jack walked over to the oil lamp that was supplying the light and turned it off by blowing out the wick. When he returned to the bed River was already asleep. Relief from having told someone; leaving her extremely tiered.  
  
A/n: I have got to say that was the hardest chapter I have ever written, holly cows. I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever but I moved and my mom's boyfriends computer- well I can't save my stories on it. So I had to save it on one of my websites and wait until I had my computer up- Which still hasn't happened! I'm just bloody lucky my grandmothers computer has Microsoft word and I could save it here and work with it a bit more! Well please review; to those who answered the pole: thank you much! I only got two pole answers and I went with the tell him one because I think I have the rest of the story thought out- though she doesn't get to marry the handsome prince, a.k.a. Jack Sparrow; it does turn out for the best, hey I'm getting a head of myself here. I'll try and hurry with the next chapter! 


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